NSW Marine Waters Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy

The NSW Government recognises the need to look at opportunities for sustainable and viable aquaculture development. Aquaculture supports the regional economies of NSW and will be an increasingly important contributor to the future food supply needs of the state.

Aquaculture not only produces quality sustainable seafood, but can be the catalyst for economic development. The flow-on effects of aquaculture have provided increased employment opportunities for service industries, including the tourism, restaurant and retail sectors.

The Marine Waters Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy (Strategy) compliments the successful NSW
Land Based Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy and the NSW Oyster Industry Sustainable
Aquaculture Strategy.

Aquaculture is the breeding, growing, keeping and harvesting of fish or marine vegetation with a view to sale or for commercial purposes. The definition of fish includes finfish, molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Types of aquaculture the Strategy considers include sea pens for finfish; longline infrastructure for shellfish and algae; artificial reef for abalone; and ranching on the seafloor (shellfish and other invertebrates).

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. In 2012, the volume of farmed seafood overtook beef production. Global demand for seafood is rapidly expanding with world annual per capita fish consumption doubling from about 10 kg in the 1960s to 20 kg in 2016. In 2016, 50% of the seafood consumed worldwide was produced by aquaculture.

The demand for seafood is increasing, however wild caught seafood is not expected to increase from current sustainable catch levels. In order to meet demand, NSW currently imports around 87% of the seafood we purchase. The gap between wild fishery supply and the growing demand for seafood can only be supplied by aquaculture.

The Strategy was developed as a whole of government initiative under the guidance of the State Aquaculture Steering Committee. The Committee comprises representatives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure, Department of Primary Industries, NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Environment and Heritage, NSW Food Authority, Office of Local Government and Transport for NSW (Roads and Maritime Services).

In developing the Strategy, a number of key stakeholder groups were contacted to provide comment, including Aboriginal bodies, boating associations, commercial and recreational fishers, aquaculture industry, waterway user groups, universities and environmental non-government organisations. The Strategy was also placed on public exhibition in mid-2018.

The NSW Land Based Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy and the NSW Oyster Industry Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy are two other aquaculture strategies that exist. These strategies have greatly assisted in providing certainty to government agencies, proponents and the community that a considered approach is being undertaken in NSW for aquaculture developments. They consider: site and species selection; design and operation; best practice; and water quality protection.

Rather than an ad hoc development approach to marine waters aquaculture, the Strategy provides clear direction on the sustainable development of marine aquaculture. Recent approvals for finfish and shellfish farms in NSW highlight the investment opportunity. A Marine Waters Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy means the NSW Government is on the front foot, ensuring the industry develops sustainably.

The Strategy covers coastal waters to the jurisdictional limit of three nautical miles offshore (state waters), but does not include estuaries.

No. Appropriate sites in NSW are limited and there are many areas where the Strategy will exclude marine aquaculture. Operational restrictions will also limit how close aquaculture farms can be situated to each other.

The Strategy is aligned with the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS), which sets the over-arching strategy for the State Government to co-ordinate management of the marine estate.

Marine aquaculture was assessed as part of the MEMS’s threat and risk assessment, and was deemed minimal or low risk to the marine assets of the estate.

No. The Strategy contains guidance on a number of constraints that will require aquaculture farm developers to investigate and then identify the sustainable locations both for aquaculture and the environment.

to be prepared to accompany any application for approval. Aquaculture developments also need to undergo an assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 administered by the Commonwealth.

The NSW Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure and the Commonwealth’s Department of Climate Change. Energy, the Environment and Water regulate marine aquaculture in NSW waters through conditions of approval to operate. Conditions of approval include preparation of management plans, environmental and operational monitoring, reporting requirements and auditing.

The permit application, consultation, environmental impact statement and assessment processes all consider potential impacts on the environment for a particular farming proposal. Removing or minimizing environmental impacts is a key operational requirement, and management plans and approval conditions clearly identify these. Ongoing environmental monitoring programs help build a picture of potential impacts and ways in which they may be mitigated into the future.

Operators of aquaculture farms will be required to carry out monitoring programs and report on the respective farming activities. The monitoring program will be tailored to the aquaculture type and if significant impacts are found, then remediation actions will be required. Existing fish and mussel farms in NSW are required to monitor water quality and seafloor impacts. This monitoring is undertaken by independent contractors. Much of this is publicly available, including video footage under and adjacent to finfish sea pens. Current marine farm operations in NSW have not had a significant impact on the environment.

Current marine farms in NSW have posed no direct entanglement risk to marine fauna. To prevent adverse interactions with marine fauna, the latest avoidance technologies and designs are required to be deployed.

Transport for NSW require that the extremities of aquaculture leases are marked with appropriate navigational buoys. A Notice to Mariners is issued by Transport for NSW and the leases are marked on navigational charts. Navigational buoys are the same as those used for all similar marine navigation applications.

There will be a requirement for all farms to develop biosecurity plans to address pests and diseases and routine health monitoring of stock. All species farmed are first assessed by DPI Fisheries for their suitability for the area, and to ensure no noxious fish are cultivated. Biosecurity translocation protocols may apply to movements of cultivated species between different marine areas.

A number of design features will be used to minimise visibility of infrastructure, including the use of dark coloured materials, minimising and streamlining surface infrastructure, maximising subsurface infrastructure and maintaining a low profile. Service vessels will also be very similar to existing commercial and recreational vessels that frequently navigate marine waters.

Marine parks are zoned for multiple use such as recreation, fishing and tourism. Approximately half of the leases issued for aquaculture in the NSW are located within a marine park.

It is a condition of an aquaculture permit that all infrastructure is removed from the lease area/s if operations are expired, cancelled or surrendered. Aquaculture lessees in NSW are also required to contribute to an Aquaculture Lease Security Bond. The Aquaculture Lease Security Bond held by the government can be used to clean up infrastructure if required.

For more information, contact Aquaculture Management at aquaculture.administration@dpi.nsw.gov.au or call 02 4916 3900.